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End of a family

Death toll from acid-laden truck accident now 18

Mahbuba Zannat
The parents of two-month-old Ahnaf Imtiaz, who died on November 16 from his acid burns, succumbed to their burns Saturday night and yesterday afternoon at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Ahnaf along with his father Ashraf Ali and mother Shirin Akhter sustained serious burn injuries when an acid-laden truck collided with a bus on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Comilla on November 6.
The father was not told that his son had passed away and Shirin did not know that her son and husband had died.
The death toll in the accident now stands at 18 and five victims arc still struggling for their lives at the burn unit.
How can we claim that we live in a civilised society when we have to see such tragic deaths of an entire family," said project director of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of DMCH Samantalal Sen, who treated the family along with seven others.
"Shirin and Ashraf got married on November 18 last year... Perhaps they had dreamt of having a happy family woven with love and care," he added.
"Will you just keep on writing, sister? Would you not do anything for us? What was our fault? Why have we to suffer in such a way?" These were her last words to this correspondent.
The couple was moving to Chittagong to start a fresh life but the bus carrying them was rammed by an acid-laden truck in Comilla. Ten passengers died on the spot while others were brought to DMCH burn unit with severe injuries.
Even though 17 days have passed, the government is yet to arrest the culprits who were transporting acid in such an unsafeway.
Deputy Commissioner of Comilla Manjurur Rahman told Ihe Daily Star that the report of the investigation committee, formed after the accident, was sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs Friday. I he committee in the report concluded that the truck was carrying the acid without taking proper safety measures.
"Nasir Chemical Industry of Shiddhirganj in Narayanganj was transporting the barrels of acid and we are trying to arrest the criminals," said Officer-in-charge of Burichang Police Station Anwar Hossain. He said a case was filed with Comilla Police Station on November 12 and they have added an account of Acid Control Act violation in the case.
Due to lack of implementation of law and absence of monitoring mechanism, every year a significant number of people including women and children suffer acid burns and die tragic deaths. Even though two laws have been enacted in 2002 to control acid and acid crime, acid violence and acid-
related accidents are taking place, rightsactivistssay.
Ihe government has little or no monitoring mechanism for this. There are district committees in every district under the National Acid Control Council which are not that active. In some cases, the deputy commissioner does not even know how many people of his district are involved in using, selling and transporting acid, said Executive Director of Acid Survivors Foundation Monira Rahman.
"Before getting licences for acid using, selling and transporting, people pledge to maintain utmost security. They, however, do not follow up receiving the licences and as we do not have strong monitoring system, we do not know who are violating the law," Mohammad Zillar Rahman, deputy commissioner of Dhaka, told The Daily Star.